Business North November 2021

14 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Insurance to fit you and your business. www.crombielockwood.co.nz | 0800 276 624 Proud to be associated with Trevelyans Pack N Cool COMMERCIAL · INDUSTRIAL · AUTOMATION · SERVICE Phone (07) 578 0050 Unit 1, 43 Koromiko St, Judea, Tauranga JENKINS FRESHPAC SYSTEMS ARE PROUD SUPPORTERS OF TREVELYANS PACK N COOL Trevelyan’s Pack N Cool “We have about 350 hectares under manage- ment providing expert advice and physical work from greenfield development through to harvesting, to help maximise productivity and minimize the stress involved in daily orchard management.” With about 600 people on its books, James says Trevelyans’ operation can resemble a little city, particularly when the population expands to well over 1800 a day in the season, mostly on site, when Te Puke’s population increases by a factor of four or five. “You ask someone what’s forestry about and they will tell you it’s cutting down trees. Ask someone what dairy farming is about and they will tell you milking cows. Ask someone what kiwifruit is about and they will tell you its pruning vines. “The primary industry gets that broad bush wash of low-tech manual labour but there is everything here from scientists, to commercial accountants, engineers, comms people, chem- ical engineers — there are all sorts down to some amazing people that we train and build skills into their world and lives. “We talk about coolstores but the fact is people are our biggest asset and without them we are nothing.” Asked what has underpinned the success of Trevelyans over the last six decades of devel- opment, innovation and growth, James says living by its values is at the core. “We try to respect people and the envi- ronment and we endeavour to be open and honest. Some days we don’t get it right 100% and we need to pick ourselves up and have another go. “There is just that ethos to keep going and do our best for those who supply us fruit and People, not coolstores, biggest asset T from page 12 Trevelyan’s has five packhouses — four for export and one for the local market — along with coolstores with about 90 different rooms. be very respectful to those who work with us — be that staff or growers. There is no story in average. If you give average results it’s pretty hard and you have to try to be better than that. “Last year we had a stunning year but this year it was harder, and I don’t know why yet, but give us a couple of months and we will work out why and we will need to change our process and get smarter.” With a mindset of continuous improvement James and the Trevelyan team are strong ad- vocates of the lean manufacturing principles and of sustainability. While Covid has stepped in the way this year, Trevelyans typically employs a lean manufacturing specialist from Japan each year to spend time observing and making recom- mendations. “He beats us all up and teaches us about waste. He has very clever eyes. And we have some really passionate people about sustain- ability. “We have done some amazing stuff. What we send to landfill now would struggle to be 8% of what it was in the past. We upcycle, recycle, compost. “We do 200 tonnes of compost every year back onto the land. It’s just the way we do stuff now and we are trying to be a business that is friendly and respectful on the environ- ment as well as the people.”